Crystal Chronicles: Live and Learn
by SomtinERanother
Summary: Zella Nae, a orphaned Selkie child, is brought up in the house of nobility as a princess with royal Lilty parents. But beause of her ranks, she is not able to carivan or even leave the castle. But will she stand for that? -long summary inside- OCxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** 100 years time has continued and Raem still rains his miasma over the lands. Zella Nae, a orphaned Selkie child, is brough into the house of nobility with Lility parents, and not just ordinary nobility either. A adopted princess is who she was brought up to be. But the chains and shakles that bear her to the castle can not contain this princess, whos dream is to carivan. Will she escape her palace to see what once ran through the blood of her ancestors? What will she find on her journey? Meeting new people, a caravaning experience like no other, and a chance of find love?

***Important* Time Period of Story: **If your confused when the story takes place, its 100 years continuation of the first Crystal Chronicles, so imagin it in that setting, nothing has changed much, except for a few things I personally thought of that they might find in 100 years (nothing big though just simple things). ;) This story has nothing to do with Crystal Bearers, Echoes of Time, ect. Pluse this was kinda inspired by the short side quest in the game about the run away princess, and you had to help find her, ect., but this story has nothing to do with that princess!

**A/N:** Okay! Officially my first story on Fanfic and stuff, yada-yada-yada, I started the 1st chapter quiet some time ago so the styles a little different then more previouse chapters I'v worked on. But none the less I'm posting it anyway. Oh, this is exciting! READ! xD

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Crystal Chronicles.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Prologue<strong>

The Summer night was warm, thousands upon thousands of tiny diamond white stars showned brightly in the sky but the white moon was absent. No creature stured, and the grass was dry and dying from the lack of rain that season, and the trees where becoming wilted and the bushed had lost their leafy greeness. This area was dried, because the Jegon River that had supplied the water for this dead forest, had dried almost a year earlier.

Through the thorney, dry trees and bushes , quickly rushed a Selkie man and women. With each step they took their heart race increased and pain, fear, and painc made their blood run cold like ice.

They women was gasping in panick as she constandly glanced back behind her. Her long blond hair getting in the way of her eyes with every time she turned back, but she could hear _them_ coming closer and closer, their strange screatching as they threw small hand bombs at them that would instead hit tree's and explode against those, sending splintery wood hailing over their heads. As the sharp splinters fell, the women covered a bundled blancket in her arms wit her head and shoulders.

The Selkie man held on tightly to one of the women's hands and he led the way, beating away at any branched or plants in their way with his racket. The women felt tears form in her eyes as she looked down to the bundle that she protected, and craddled tightly against her large bussom. There in her arms, a baby Selkie stayed craddled, in the blancket. Its thumb in its mouth, sleeping, completely unaware of the danger that surrounded it as it was craddles in protection by it's mother.

The women looked ahead following the Selkie mans every dodge and move to avoid running into trees or getting stuck behind thick crispy bushes thats tiny branches where so sharp they could cut your skin with a simple pass by.

She glanced behind her one last time. The closness of the goblins was so close she could making out the faces of maybe 5 of the 20 red and blues following behind them.

She screamed in panic but the man quickened his speed despite the amount of sweat running down his face and the exhastion in his leggs that he felt. Still holding his wife's hand, he turned sharply around a tree with a thick trunk and ran straight ahead.

After running through and around the dead and leafless tree, they came into a clearing of the dead forest. A small section that was open but still had several dead trees encircling around them. The man stoped and looked around with a face of horror. The women stood close to him, terrified. They stood back to back because they could hear the russilling and noise of the goblins still around them, hidding in the surrounding dead trees, tall grass, and bushes; not knowing what direction they where exactly, but it felt like... they where surrounded.

She looked back at the bunddled little Selkie in her arm, still so unaware and innocent. She clentched the baby so much closer, protecting it with her arms and and body as the Selkie man moved his arms around her shoulder in a protective mannor, his racket still in hand as he watch his surroundings carfully.

Both where exhasted and weak. The goblins could sense that, which made them all the better to be their prey for that night.

Then the russling and cracking noise of dead leaves being steped on... stoped. Absolute silence.

Teriffeied, the women fell to her knees and covered the baby completely with her body. "I wont let them harm our baby!" She screamed.

At that exact moment the gomblins jumped from the trees and tall grass. About 20 of them attacked the two, but three if you include the little baby that was so protected in it's mothers arms. The Selkie man swung his racket hitting several in the heads, knocking them away from his wife and child. His breathing was heavy, a pail face, and sweat dripping from his chin. Surely, if the goblins don't kill him, exhastion will.

The goblins gave no mercy. Several jumped on his back, and kicked him down. His weak legs gave in, hitting the floor with a hard 'thud'. The women watched helplessly in horror as the goblins stabed her husband in the back with their jagged daggers. She shrilled loudly. Climbing to her feet quickly with a quick stumble, she took the racket from her husbands dead hand drabbled with his own blood.

The women swung at a few of the monsters, bashing them in the heads. Even with every stike she made, she covered the baby in her arms with her body, taking several slashes and cut from the goblins. Several taken out, but still so many... it seemed like they'd never stop coming.

Out numbered, the women fell to her knees, and screamed into the sky. "What ever god is up there! Save my child but take me instead!"

Her blood ran cold and he eyes widened. A dagger had plunged into her back. One small stream of blood fell from her mouth as she greatly winced in pain when the goblin removed the dagger from her back. He vision was going blurry and her limbs where going cold and numb, but with everything that just happened, she held that baby close to her.

As the goblins seemed to move in, they scattered, and quickly. The women painfully and slowly turned her head. She could see lanterns approtching in the trees to her left.

"Is anyone there!", she heard a voice call out.

As the figures approtched even closer and the lanter's light got brighter, she could see they where... Lilties... knights of Alfitaria infact. As the women looked down at the child who was now awake and unharmed, with only a smudge of dirt on it's face. The women smiled as tears swealed in her eyes.

She slowly fell onto her back, child still craddled in her arms. Only moments after hitting the ground, she could feel hands covered by metal gloves lift up her upper body.

"Selkie women!" The knights yelled out, shaking her to see if she was awake or even alive. The women's blue eyes cracked open. They where haized, blurry with tears. Her body was bloody, covered in cuts, and her face was covered with sweat and dirt mixed.

Fellow Lilties hovered a lanter over her head, some becoming startled at first glance at the women and her wounds. Other Lilty knights came running through the dried forest aswell, lanterns in every other ones hands.

The short knights leaned over her while others attented to her husband's corpse. "W-We must get her medical attention! At this rate she'll-"

"Please..." the Selkie women said weakly, but loud enoff to interupting the Lilty. She shifted her arms so that the baby craddled in them could be seen perfectly in the lanter's soft orange and yellow light.

"Take my... daughter..." The Lilties stared in shock at the Selkie.

"Ples..." the Selkie choked, "Take my daughter..." She liffed the baby toward them with every ounce of strength left in her body. "Her name is... Zella... Nae."

"Zella Nae..." One of the female knights echoed, the knight proping her upper body up motioned with his head for another knight to hold her up as he gently lifted the baby from her arms so carfully he made it seem like it was made of glass.

The Selkie women smiled. Now that her child is in care... she could rest in peace. Her arms went limp and her head fell back. Her eyes rolled back and she exhaled her final breath. But, she died... with a smile.

"H-Hey!" One of the knight called, the other holding her upper boody up shook her shoulder. She didn't move. Almost each knight took a step back from the sight.

"The male Selkie is dead, aswell..." One knight said, the pitty sound of sorrow akeing in his voice echoing under his helmet. "She's... gone..." Another knight narrated for the rest, breaking the chilling silence.

The knight holding the baby bunddled in a white blanket -covered in patched of dirt and mudd with little holes- glanced around at all the knights present. About 15 knights too be exact.

"What should we do with the baby?" One knight asked from the gathered Lilties.

"Its a Selkie! I say we leave it for the goblins! One less Selkie in the world too worry about!" One knight called from the group. The knight holding the child glared around, not exactly sure who said it, but willing to scold them all for it.

"H-How dare you say that! Have you no honor as a knight! I say we take her to their majesties! They will know what to do!" The knight holding the baby called out. Chatter of agreement arose from the Lilties. But yet, some seemed to agree with leaving the baby... because its a Selkie. A race of theives and mostly bandits...

The Lilty knight holding the child stood, "Agreed?" He asked loudly. The knights fell silent and still, then all nodded in unisync.

The Lilty holding the child, handed it too some of the female Lilty knights who cooed at the baby's cutness. The knight took the lead up at the front of the group and then marched into the dead forest with their lanterns and weapons.

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><p>Not all of the land had dried out and whithered... yet. Much of it closer to the Jegon River remaned lusher and green. The sound of the river moved to the south as a pair of Liltes sat by a fire on the shore banks. They were being closely watched by 3 other Lilties, knight, in fact.<p>

The Lilty pair was a male and female. The man next to the women. He had a stubbled chin and his leaves for hair tied back in a some what ponytail, his robes and clothing where clean and well made silk, as a shinning crown was attop his head.

The female, was kneeling on the ground her hand hovering by the fire for warmth even on such a warm night. Her leaves in a high ponytail like most Lilty women. Her little hands where covered by white gloved and she was dressed in a fine red and white dress, fit for royalty. Infact... a crown was resting on her head aswell.

The clanking of metal arm approtched at a distance in the dark. The Lilty pair and knights turned their attentinon toward the noise, the knights having their spears and lances ready in their hands for whatever may be approtching but they settled down when they relized the noise belonged to the group of Lilty knights that where sent out earlier.

"Your majesties!"

They king and queen gave their full attention to the knights, the queen even rising to her feet. "Did you see what that noise was? I-I swear it sounded like screaming." The queen asked in a gentle tone.

The knight looked too his feet, though, he only stands about 3 feet tall. "Yes, your highness, we did... but we found somthing horrible..." Both the king and queen waited nervously for the knigt to continue, as the 3 Lilty guards that were left behind, began glancing at one another chattering amoungs themselves in worry.

"There was a Selkie man and women... both are dead. We suspect they where killed by a hord of goblins." The queen gasped lightly, while the king grumbled somthing under his breath as he rubbed his chin.

"Give them a proper barriel." He uttered, turning his back toward the knights and began walking toward the stream that was once the Jegon River.

Some of the knights in the back of the small group looked back at the forest, until they came to the desision in their own minds to go back in and burry the 2 Selkies corpes.

"Wait! Your majesty! Theres more!" The knight called. The king stopping dead in his tracks, and stared coldly over his shoulder.

"When we arrived, the Selkie women was still... some-what alive. But she had a baby with her." They queen's eyes widened with shock as the corners of her eyes moistened. She gasped, "A b-baby? The poor thing..."

"No your majesty, the child is alive. We suspect its a new born, barely 3 weeks old." The knight spoke stepping aside, the female knight now holding the baby steped from the Lilty knights, holding the little bunddle out for the queen and king to view.

The queen was the first to rush to the child. Looking at its small defensless baby with kind eyes as she placed her hands over her chest with a warm smile breaking on her lips.

"What shall we do with the child? Put her for adoption when we return back to Alfitaria?"

The queen reatched for the child, craddling it in her arms. The size of the child was bigger then a Lilty baby, which made her hard to craddle but the queen managed. The king steped up behind his wife looking over her shoulder at the baby.

Her skin was a pretty pale color, she had short locks of straight blond hair on her little head, and in the midst of her sleep, her eyes cracked just a bit for the Lilty king and queen to see her eyes where already colored and they where as green as the tree tops use to be.

The queen tilted her head lightly stareing at the child, fuzzy warmth spreading throught out her body. The joy of holding a baby was a wonderful feeling too her.

She moved one of her little fingures toward the baby's tinier hand, who then grabbed on and attempted to stick it in her mouth but the queen pulled it away quick enoff before it entered its saliva filled, toothless mouth, but giggled anyway at they childs cutness.

"We... We've always wanted a child, Dear..." The queen spoke gently looking back up at her husband. The king arched an eyebrow at his wife with skeptical thoughts flowing in his mind.

"Oh Dear..." She began as her eyebrows furowed down and a frown bent on her lips turning quickly around to look face to face with her husband.

"This child may not have leafy hair or... grow to be a maximum 3 feet tall, but... oh just look at it..." She motioned toward the baby with her head.

The pair stood in silence for a moment. The king crossing his arms over his chest, staring down at his foot that tapped every second that went by, senting chilling vibes to the queen as she knawed nervously on her lower lip. He signed heavily, and grinned lightly up at his wife.

She smiled as a weak laugh escaped her lips and tears swelled in the corners of her eyes, trying to contain her joy.

The Lilty knights watching close by began to chatter amoungst themselves. _'A Selkie Princess?'_ was the common question beging a buzz. _'Theres never been Selkie race in royalty!'_, some said in either a good or bad way.

"Your majesties!", the knight who led he small group of knight called out, interupting the moment and silencing everyone. "Before the Selkie women died, she said that the child... erh... the _girl's_ name, is Zella Nae."

The queen giggled, "Well I could already tell its a girl... shes so beautiful."

"Zella Nae?" The king echoed, arching an eyebrow again.

"Zella Nae... a lovely name... Zella." The queen said letting the child grab ahold of her tiny index fingure again.

-19 years later-

_**To Be Continued**_

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><p>So how was that for a first chapter! I'm rather proud of this for being my first story! ^_^ But please, if you liked it drop a review off, please. But give me your oppinion on the writing style, any improvments needed? Or if you even are still confused about the time period, I didn't really check through what centuery all the other Crystal Chronicles games take place after the 1st one, but whatever!<p>

With the fight scene between the Selkies and the goblins, I got extreamly lazy if you coudn't tell, I really just wanted to post the first chapter ASAP, so I made it small and to the point. Any other fight scenes in this story are probley going to be double or triple that ones size.

Oh! And just a little heads up, the next and last MAIN character/hero/ heroin's partner of this story wont be introduced until chapter 3 or 4.

Please rievew! :3

~SomtinERanother


	2. Chapter 2

**Edit: **Went back and fixed (hopfully) all the spelling and grammer errors. I added afew more details to the story or re-arranged some words, but nothing majorly changed.

**A/N:** I wanna start off by apologizing for the really, really, REALLY, late update for chater 2. I really intended for Chapter 2 to come out 2 weeks after the first one was out but then a family member of mine passed away and I lost all motivation and went into a very depressed and sad stage. But! After a while, the saddness has begun to dissapear and I got my motivation back. Most of this chapter was written during the time I was sad so its kinda... blah. But I did my best to revise it and make it better. :)

My last chapters spelling was not as well read over as I hoped I did to I did my best to make sure it was better this time round... I even used a dictionary so it should be better! :D

Oh and I checked the story status... 41 hits! I feel... hounored TTwTT... that more then 10 people decided to read my story! THANKYOU! ALL 41 OF YOU! And thankyou if your another new person reading right now! :D

SO! Without further hold back, here you go!

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Crystal Chronicles in any way, shape, or form.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: 19 Years Later<strong>

Alfitaria, the bigest city on the norther continent but the most important city of the north and east continents. It is the home to many higher living rich people and home aswell to the royal family. It is a very popular place for travelers and carivaners to stop and stock up on supplies of food fresh from Feilds of Fum or weapons to be made by some of the best known blacksmiths.

But during this time of year, Spring, the town was not busy with carivaners but rather busy with their own people. It was the time of year again, where tha carivaners would begin to prepare for their travels for an entire year, travels that would take them on a journey for the oh-so desired myrrh that protected towns across continenets.

People currently rushing in and out buildings and shops to buy supplies, while people roamed the streets carrying iteams to place in the carivans for those brave carivaners. There where 2 carivans where parked down by the giant crystal, one for the volunteer towns people to travel in; the other for the Lilty knights of the kingdom.

Because Alfitaria's crystal is so great in size, they must send off 2 carivaners to collect myrrh every year. It had been that way for at least 100 years now after the crystal's glow dimmed only halfway into the new year. Many other neighboring cities found quiet unfare for the city of Alfitaria to take two carivans out, equalling up to 6 drops of myrrh. But Alfitaria had a good reason.

They're crystal's great sized required more; 3 drops wasen't enoff to purify the crystal.

This great crystal there was rather a trademark icon there. Its 'bluer then the ocean' color, its great size stretched up the 3rd floor of the castle making it the biggest crystal on either continents. Many People admired the crystal even the people of the town who would take 5 minutes out of their day to look at it and admire. All people addmired it... including the princess of Alfitaria herself.

Up at the highest window in the castle, a blond haired girl looked at the crystal and the by-passers who walked past it. The girl must be no older then 19 years old; watched from that window. She rested her hands on the window seal as a light grin appeared on her lips.

She could see the joyfilled faces of the towns people, their lips moving in happy chatter, dispite the princess not hearing anything behind the glass window. A clavate baker waltzed by with a tray of bannock bread, 3 Lilty women chatted away carrying weaved baskets fililed to the brim with rainbow grapes, cherry clusters, and star carrots. Clavate and Lilty children playing tag with each other around the carivans... strange... he never really saw Selkie children in Alfitaria.. Selkies like herself.

Staring out the window aswell, sitting on the ivory window seal on its fluffy rear-end, was a moogles and a rather small one if you compare it to other moogles. Its fluffy red pom-pom actually being a rather large size copared to his body, but it was certain that a little growing would even things out.

The little moogles twisted his head quickly to his right. Narrow eyes focused on the girl with a happy cat-like grin.

"Zella-kupo..."

"Hmh?" The princess hummed, glancing down at the moogle wilth only her eyes.

"Why are you waiting to speaking with your momma and papa again, kupo? Shouldn't you be getting ready for the Farwell Ball tonight for the people going bye-bye carivaning, kupo?" The moogle tilted his head in question causing his pom-pom to flop on one side of his head.

"Thats just what I wanted to speak with them about." She smiled, lifting her thin index figure. She swiftly turning away from the window and toward a pair of large oak door with brass handles just a few steps behind where they where standing.

The small moogle leaped to the floor - soffening his landing with a flap of his wings - to following Zella."The party, kupo?"

The Zella spun on her toes and grinned at him. Sticking her hands behind her back and leaning down to look closer at the moogle. "No Rie. About carivaning!" She practiacally sang the last part.

"Oh! Right, right! I almost forgot, Kupo!" Rie chirped happily, giving himself a stwirl on his toes-like-paws. Zella nodded her head. "I'll convince mother and father this time... if...", Zella's rather chipper behavior began to ease down, " If I can convince... father..."

A stiff silence filled the hallway. Then, one of the large oak door opened. Zella turned her head quickly around to see that a Lilty knight had opened the door.

"Your parents will see you know, Princess." He said with lack of any emotion in his voice.

Zella felt a light weight land on her shoulder, realizing it was just Rie taking a seat on her should like he would usualy when he want to come with her. She gave a last glance at Rie, as he nodded happily to encourage the princess.

Inside the audience chamber where her parents sat a distance on the other side of the room on their tall thrones; the floor was marble and the walls where white and a long royal red and gold carpet stretced from the doorstep to the thrones. The room had a warm glow to it because red curtains had been parted from the window making sunlight streaming through the windows running all along the far left wall.

Out of courtesy Zella bowed when she reatched the foot of ther parents thrones, where her Lilty parents sat and looked rather exhaused. Most likely from making all the arangments for the Farwell Ball tonight.

He mother grinned. "Oh Zella dear. You know you dont have to be so polight to us! Or even request and audience to see us."

"Oh..." Zella smiled... but nervously now.

"Yes... well you must have a reason for the audience. It must be very important... Zella." Her father said rubbing his still stubbled chin. He gave her a chilling stare that made her wonder if he was already suspiciouse of her. Zella could begin to feel the nerves kick in. She began to twidle with her fingure behind her back as she knawed on her lower lip.

"Ah..yes father. Well... you see, as you know of the Farwell Ball tonight and..."

"Yes, Zella. I hope you have your finest dress ready and your speech for the carivaners ready aswell." Her Lilty mother reminded her, still having a wide grin on her lips.

"Oh, I do mother. But thats not- well that is kind of what I did come to talk about..." The drop dead silence had Zella no choice but to continue. "Umm..." The strong stare of her father and the questioning stare of her mother left her a lost for words.

A silence stiffened the room, the only sound in the room was Zella's lips smacking together to form the words on her tongue and the short breath she'd inhail as if she was going to say somthing.

"Zella?" Her father arched an eyebrow, becoming actually impatient.

"Zella, start at the beginning, kupo" Rie whispered into her ear. She had almost forgot the moogle was even with her. Zella swallowed in a actally lady-like mannor.

"As you both know..." She began sternly, like she had finally made up her mind. "The great drought of the Jegon River has been continuing for over 19 years now... and I believe that... as a member of the royal family..." Zella paused, holdering her breath as the air in her lungs began to feel like ice. Her mother noded her head slowly, curiously, but skeptical to her. Zella took a deep breath in... and finally released it in one breath.

"If I may go carivaning this year to help find an answer to this drought and represent the royal family!"

She could just feel the butterflies form in her stomach and begin to flutter about. She dared not to look at her parents reactions, especially her father's; ratherly she stared out the window on the othre side of the room, waiting for a responce.

The queen cover a her mouth with a hand, eyes closed... just waiting for _it_. This similare situation happened 2 years ago if she recalled correctly but only ending in slight tiff between her husand and Zella that last only a few hours.

Zella dared herself to even glance of her father with her eyes. But when she did, all she could see his head lowered, and his mouth forming somthing similar to a slightly hidden scowl.

"Father?..." Zella took a step closer to him.

"Why?" He answered quietly but almost like barley contained rage.

"F-Father, if I go maybe it will bring hope to the people of Alfitaria that the royal family hasent forgotten them and th-"

"WHY!", his eyes flamed with anger. "Why must you insist on this...! This...", he motioned with his hands small circles as if her was trying to find the words in his vocabulary. "This... idea! Carivaning! People die carivanning, you've seen the funerals honnoring the ones lost on their travels! Do you wish to join them!"

"NO." Zella said her head slightly lowered and eyebrows furrowed down with hints of an upset frown on her lips bending into plcae.

"Do you want to abandon your responsibility?"

"NO. Never." Zella answered, clenching her fists into tight balls against her stomache.

"What may be the reason Zella?" He asks banging a small, balled up fist against his thrones' armrest.

"To find the answer to this drought and give hope!... Thats all I want."

The king scratched his chin in a rough mannor. "And you believe _you_ carivaning will help us find the answer? Our best scientist and scholors are working their best for the answer!"

"But father! Its been almost 20 years! They are not even close to an answer, but maybe I can he-"

"Not another word!" He called out in a loud booming voice for somone so small. His yell echoed against the Ivory walls and marble floor and bounced into Zella's mind. She flinted as it reatched her eardrums in ear ringing pain.

She was slient and so was everyone else, even the knights posted by the doors had not even seemed fazed by this.

Zella had looked to her mother who didn't seem to want anything to do with this conversation. Her face was covered by her hands as if she herself was trying to shut out her husbands yelling.

A scary silenceleft the room stiff, tense, and silent. Zella's inner hope of carivaning was quiet aswell and slowly disappearing.

"Dear..." A sweet voice broke the silence. The king cracked one of his closed eyes open to look at his wife. She was now no long hidden behind her hands but even standing up, stern and tall.

"Perhaps Zella is right."

Zella's eyes opened wide in astonishment as did the kings who's eyes where even wider. "What do you mean?" Her husband asked still lightly shaken by his wife sudden protest.

"Well... Zella does have a point. Our citizens are loosing hope that the water will ever come back to the Jegon River. If royalty where to join their carivan and look for an asnwer, then they would know that we the royal family are still conserned about th-"

"I WON'T allow it!" The king yelled in a raged tone like a child in a tantrum. But still... if you listened carefully you could hear the tint pain in his voice. Zella flinched at his world as his wife shooker her head, slowly taking a seat again.

"The citizens should know we care enoff by the fact were funding their carivaning and that we've hired the highest of scientist to cover the drought. That is all we need for this situation."

"But father..." Zella said weakly.

"Zella Nae...!", he stared at Zella with cold eyes. "You will not now or ever, carivan or do somthing as dangerouse as that! You are not permited to leave. THIS. Castle! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" The anger in his voice spilled like mighty waterfall. Zella nodded ever so slowly and her head lowered to hide her embarassed face.

"To think! What would your fiancee think, Zella!"

Zella could feel her inner being cringe with disgust at the mention of that man who is her fiancee. "I could care much less about my 'fiancee'. I dont love him!" Her voice rose with her temper at the mention of this fiancee of her. The marriage plan... was somthing that boiled in her belly but she hide quiet well. It was somthing Zella found more painful, then a smack to the face. Even she had never even experienced a smack or any type of punishment related to that in her life, but could imagin the pain.

Despite the mention of her arranged marriage, she was hurt and upset with this whole conversation... about almost everything... not carivanning... not choosing her husband... the drought... being locked up alone inside of a caslte, with no offence to her moogle, but he is her only and closest friend.

"I dont want to hear another world of this nonscene! My word is FINAL! You will not leave this castle under the slight whim of a want to carivan! And using the drought as an excuse to carivan aswell!"

A flaming sparked inside Zella. "I didnt lie! Its not an excuse!", she manage with a bit of anger in her hurt voice.

"Your duties are here and that is where you will stay!"

Zella's lower lip fell to form a word but she had no choice...hes her father, she must listen. As the anger fire in she body was put out, she had ducked her head low in pain that left her blood running cold. Her only comfort at the moment was her moogle Rie, who she could feel rub his silky soft red pom-pom against her cheek in a comforting mannor.

The king almost fell back into his throne further in bad posture. He rubbed his temples uncomfortably as he looked to his wife. "Can you believe it Lillian...", he said casting a glance to his wife who looked back with a slight frown bent on her lips.

"Our daughter... the heir to the throne and princess wants to risk her life in somthing as commoners work...", he paused, "and to think I though Zella had matured so much since 2 years ago... I though that she had grown up..." The king muttered all of this under his breath but loud enoff for both his wife and daughter to hear. His wife casted an unexpected and cold glare at him, but snapped out of it when she heard the whimper that escaped their daughters mouth.

Zella took a step back. Her eyes began to moisten and her lowerlip trembled lightly. Zella tried with all her will power to hold back the tears.. to hold back her frustration. But shes only Selkie, just another being with emotions all the same and she coundn't hold it back like she wanted.

She turned on her heals and strided quickly straight for the large oak wood doors on the other side of the room that the knights had opened for her to leave. Her pace was like a jog but as she strided, the bounce in her step cause a tear to finally fall and then she began to run out and down the hall.

As she ran she shook her head to prevent anymore tears to fall. Rie held onto the delicate lace collar of her dress with his mouth - because the lack of arms - as he bounced along on her shoulder. The sound of her 2 inch high heal shoes tapped agaisnt the marble floor making rights and left down different halls. While it seemed like she was running aimlessly, Zella knew exactly where she wanted to go at the moment. The only place to think and where she could have a quiet time to herself...

* * *

><p>Back in the quiet throne room, where the whole argument over a young princesss fate went and ended, the 2 remaining Lilties sat in absoulute silence for stressful minutes until one of them broke the chilled air.<p>

"I don't believe this, Ives..." The queen muttered, barley contained anger in her own voice. "Your own daught-"

"I don't want to hear it. She is not even blood related.", King Ives muttered, his face hidden under a hand that he seemed to be rubbing his stressed face.

Queen Lillian's eyes widened, filled with rage. "H-How dare you even say that!" She gasped and yelled, shooting up from her throne. The king didn't move his face from that one small hand. But if he had looked at his wife, he would have seen anger, a fire in her eyes that only a mother could have when she felt her child is in pain.

Lillian quickly strided away from the throne, hastely walking down the hall in a similare mannor Zella went just a few minutes ago, not wanting to even be near the man she called her husband. But at the half ways point in the middle of that long room, she stoped and looked over her shoulder at him.

His face still burried in one hand. She frowned bitterly. "What happened to the man I married? What happened to the man who loved his daughter more then anything?... blood related or not..."

She exited the room through the oak doors, knights meeting her on the outside to escort her. As the door shut slowly, Ives lifted his head and caught a quick glimps of the cold over the should stare his wife was giving before the doors shut, obscuring the sight of his wife.

Had he hurt the two most closest people to him? He burried his face back in that hand with a angry and frusterated groan.

* * *

><p>Despite the cold sadness that hazed and fogs of depression in the castle, the courtyard garden was warm with the afternoon spring sun shinning over head. The courtyard garden was smack in the middle of the castle with no roof to block sunlight. The castle was long ago build around it, being the center of the rather large castle.<p>

The moss-like-grass in the garden was green and healthy, despite the drought. Infact all the plant and vegitation growing there where flurshing with leafy green beauty. In the center of the garden was a pond, decorated with Lily Paddes, floating in the water with pink flowers and variouse other water plants grew, while no more then 7 fish, smaller then a Lilties hand, swam around gracfully in the pond. Horizontaly passing though the garden, and hovering over the small pond, was a eggshell colored bridge that led from the east side of the courtyard to the west side of the courtyard. Every so many spaces on the bridge's railing, where small lamps that would be light every night to give light to the garden in the dark. Standing tall just behind the pond was a rather large and tall tree thats branches stretched out over the bridge and would grow striped apples all year; even now you can see small apples begining to grow right on schedule according to mother nature. On the far ends, framing the garden where different types of Lily flowers growing that the servents planted only weeks ago with their many colors and shaped taking bloom. Classic White, Caption Prado, and Gabrielle Calla Lillies standing beautifuly. Asiactic Lillies growing smaller in size but bold in their darker shaddes of maroon reds, dark oranges, and black&white. Orienpets Lilles, grew most beautiful of all their bright colors of mostly yellow and pink while some grew to be plain white but just as beautiful.

In the center of all the warmth and beauty of a garden, was a lone princess. No pain created tears, but moist eyes filled to the brim with disapointment. She stood in the middle of the bridge, elbows resting on the thick and wide railing, while her hands twiddled with a pair of small dark orange Asiactic Lillies.

Little moogle Rie was sitting beside her on the rail, even his naturally happy cat-like face had signs of sadness for his friend and master, even he letting out sympathetic sighs of sadness every so many minutes.

Zella plucked petals from the flowers releasing them one by one as the gently fluttered down into the pond. She released a lady like sign before letting go of the flowers all together, watching them fall a good 5 feet until they his the water with a small splash.

"I could hear the argument from the library. Are you alright, princess?" Zella heard a familiar elder voice speak from behind her.

"Yes, Frederick... I'm... fine." Zella admited half-heartedly, turning around, eyes down casted to see Frederick, a Lilty man dressed in armor; lacking the helmet that was tucked under his arm. His face looked older and his age was a mysteryto her but he looked older then Zella's father for sure.

"That didn't sound oh-so assuring princess. Would you mind talking about it?" He had said with a grin hoping to raise the young princess' spirite, but it didnt achieve. Zella nodded slowly, turning back around to rest her elbows on the railing of the bridge. "To think..." she began in a seriouse tone. "I'll be... sheltered here all my life... forced to marry some man I don't love... and never have a say-so in anything..."

Her lip quivered, "Frederick... I don't know what to do!" She muttered over a whisper as a tear shed but hid her face in her hands to cover the tear. The elder knight sighed, "Don't worry. You'll have the last say-so at the alter... princess"

Zella signed, pulling the thin tiara off her head and hoding it tightly in her hands. " Thats just it... I dont want to be a princess anymore. If it means I'll never live-"

"I you never became a princess, you would have _never_ lived." Frederick interupted, heavily emphasizzing the word 'never'. Zella paused her eyes wide before her eyes fell shut, mentally recalling the story her mother, father, but mostly Frederick had told her man times as a little girl.

That Fredrick and several other nights found her in the forests in her dieing mother's arms and her mother handed her off to Frederick who he brought back to the king and queen. He told her she was lucky that if the queen never heard a cry and if he and the knights didn't come in time, she would have been eaten by goblins.

Zella signed placing the thin tiara back on her head, "I should be gratefull... I-I'm sorry, Frederick." Frederick crossed his short arms over his chest. "You should be grateful... But that shouldn't stop you from living life."

"Kupo?" Rie finally asked after being quiet for so long.

"Princess, I'v seen you grow from a dainty, innocent little girl into a strong and inteligent young women. And... somday you'll have to run a kingdom..." Fredrick began, his voice old and sounding with years of wisdom.

"So you should do whats right, best for you and even best for others. Its only a choice you can make yourself."

Zella sat in silence, his words echoing in her mind as she thought about it. When ever she actually had a mind turning conversation with Frecrick, he always seemed to give her advice that would cange her mind for the better... Zella gave him a assuring nodd that she understood what he was saying...

_'A choice for the better or worse, that only she can make.'_

Frecrick gave her a grin and pleased nodd back. "It a shame your retiring next year, Fredrick..." Zella muttered through a sigh, "How has been looking for your replacment captain been?" She asked continuing the conversation.

Fredrick shook his head as he placed his helmet back on his bare Lilty head. "Where getting there. A few young Lilty men are in line for the picking but... they lack in some areas to be captain."

"Hm..." Zella hummed, it assured she was listening but had nothing to actually say. Fredrick took a step back and bowed low at the waist with a respectfal mannor. "Well, I must be off Princess, I wish you luck with your dessisions."

As soon as Fredrick was out of sight, Zella began going back into deep thought. She nervously knawed on her lip as Fredrick's words of wisdom flowed like a river in her mind.

_'So you should do whats right, best for you and even best for others. Its only a choice you can make yourself.'_

Zella was in thought for a while, long enoff for the moogle to fall asleep on the railing of the bridge and the sun to begin setting. Zella nodded with the mental decision she made. "I know what I must do..." She said sternly in a hushed tone.

"But...", a happy grin curled on her lips. "I'll may need some help..." She looked at the sleeping Rie, narrowing in on his little purple wings on his small body.

* * *

><p><strong>-5 Days Earlier-<strong>

The sun was high and bright in the blue sky. Salty water that sprayed from the ocean lapped against the hard rocky shores that made up the land. The sun gave a glimmering reflection off the water at that time of day and made it a relaxing view for the the citizens of this island. The sun's sunrays penetrating the sand making it rather hot to walk on with bare feet. But the Selkie citizens of Leuda where well protected wearing their leather strap sandles.

The houses where all structuraly-sound built tents on the different levels of sandly rock that made up the island. On a usual day like this, the small population of Selkie citizens on Leuda would usually be at their daily work, while few children would run about playing games or jumping on their rope trampoline that is danerously hung over a large gaping hole with high sea water at the bottom.

But on this particular day, many of villagers where at the small dock in the front of the island near their crystal; that sadley pailes in comparison to Alfitaria's crystal.

They where in a some-what small crowd around one male Selkie. He was tall, has a well built structure, and had long sky blue hair and sharpe dark blue eyes, hes was in the traditional Selkie carivaning attire, and anyone who knew him personally knew not to many weeks ago he became 23 years of age. But over all he was quiet handsom.

In the Selkie's hands where a paire of rundown leather reins that traced up to a silver bit in the beak of a large yellow bird. It had large orange feet, big wings, and a rather large leather saddle on its back that also had a empty myrrh chalice tied on thie side of it. Many of the small children where petting its beak, wishing it a safe travel. The bird chirped in a squeek-like chirp like it was thianking them as it thrusted it head up.

The young Selkie man holding the reins gave a shallow smirk as he patted its neck.

"Your gonna be back, right Levi!" A young girl asked tugging on his wrist. "I hope so." Levi muttered rubbing the back of his neck closing his eyes as his eyebrows furrowed down in thought.

"Course he'll be back, ya dummy! Levi's way to strong to die!" The young boy next her pipped up. "Yeah, you have a safe journey, Levi." One of the older women in the small group said to him with old wrinkly grin.

From the back of the small crowd, two other young Selkie men push they're way through the crowd. Once throught, they plesently strolled up to Levi with cheecky wide grins.

"Heeeeyy buddy!" The male selkies chuckled. One of them had a head of short teal hair and the other with shoulder length light purple hair tucked under a red bandanna. "You wernt gonna forget to say bie your favorite buds, where ya?" The teal head asked teasingly. Levi smirked meanly as he tossed the pair of reins over the chocobo's neck. "That was the idea."

The teal haired one unexpectidly leaped forward and headlocked Levi in his arm as the other Selkie rubbed his knuckles into Levi's scalps, both grinning ear to ear. "Well, you be safe little Levi or the big bad monsters are gonna-" The purple head's mocking and teasing in a goofy tone was cut short when Levi layed a hard punch to square to his jaw.

The purple head stumbled back as Levi, clutched his teal haired friend's arm that was locked around his neck and pulled him over his back landing roughly on his back with a loud _'thud'_ against the dock's wood planks. The other towns people broke into amused laughs as many children snickered uncontrolably.

"Ahhh, damn Levi, that actually hurt." His teal headed friend moaned from the floor. Levi laughed. "Its not suppost to feel good either!"

"Yeah. Whatever pal." The purple headed friend rubbed his jaw until he heard somthing crack and rolled his neck. "Well, Guste wanted us to tell you 'bye, and dont die'. Course, he wanted to see you off himself buuuut, he's to hungover to even stand up."

"Yeah, well thats his problem." Levi muttered not really giving a care while he tried tightening his chocobos' saddle girth, but inwardly grinning at the mental image of his blond hung over friend, to sick to stand and puking out his guts.

"C'mon buddy, you're getting out of this hot hell whole for an entire year. You could act a little happier." The purple head friend asked. "Then why dont you come, Rag? Its been hell doing this by myself."

Rag raised his hands in a surrendering mannor. "Hey, I'm not crazy enoff to carivan."

"Hey looked at it this way Levi." The teal haired friend stood from the ground. "Maybe you'll finally find a girl this time out. Maybe even get lucky." He smirked. Levi arched a sarcastic eyebrow at him. "Yeah, how many times have you been 'lucky' Kai?"

Kai crossed his arms as he began to laughe, giving one slap on the shoulder to Levi. Ones his laughing calmed he reatched out his arm to Levi. Levi gabbed is forearm as did Kai. Rag did the same after Kai, jokingly adding. "Dont get yourself killed, bud." Levi coudnt help but let out a low dry chuckle.

"He's right. You better no die out there Levi."

Levi heard a familiar, yet scary to him, female voice come from behind his friends. His friends moved out of the way to see a girl, older then Levi. She had long blue hair tighed at the bottom in a hairclip. Just like Levi, she had blue eyes but only a lighter shade then his. Her hands where folded into fists on her hips as she stared at him with a stern face and seriouse eyes.

Levi smirked. "I didn't think you where gonna come see me off, Lotus." Lotus closed her eyes with a grin. "What? And miss getting rid of my little brother for another years? I dont think so."

"Ouch, that hurt sis." Levi chuckled as he pretended to flinch. He glanced around for a few seconds. "Hey, where's the husband?" His sister glanced behind herself and gave a light shruge. "Zeff was right behind me..."

_**'Ding, Ding, Ding'**_

Three loud bell rings rung from behind Levi.

The boat from the mainland pulled into the dock at the noon, as planned. Selkies began to give a small waves or grin unconditionally at Levi. Children jumped and waved to get his attention as Levi hauled the chocobo over a plank onto the boat. Even after the multiple times this chocobo had been on that boat it still didn't like water and was a rather a pain to get on the boat.

Once Levi was done grunting and trying to pull a heavy bird on bord, he could hear behind him Selkies wishing him luck and safe travels. He even managed to single out the sound of his sister's mature voice reminding him to _'clean his cloths'_ and to _'write often so they know he okay'_.

But Levi didn't turn to look back at them. He faced out; onto the ocean's wide blue range that stretched for miles. He knew it was going to take a few gruling and boring hours to get to the mainland. But he figured he'd maybe just toss a sting over the boat with a hook and see if anything would bite, hoping he'd actually not be _that_ bored this time out.

The boat had a rough rocking motion as it began to leave the dock, the rough waves hitting the sides of the boat. The salty smell of the ocean filled his nose as seagulls squacked just above his head as the flew around the top sail of the boat. To any new carivaner who looked out to that sea and felt what he felt, they would think their going on an adventure, but for Levi... its just another day.

Levi breathed a sigh heavy enoff, his breath flip one of the long stray hairs to the other side of his face. He patted his chocobos' neck while through that sigh he breathed,

"Here we go again..."

_**To Be Continues...**_

* * *

><p>So thats chapter number 2! I decided that I WILL NOT keep you guys in the dark about who Zella's future carivanning partner will be and gave the whole last parparagraph of the story to him. (NO ITS NOT FREDRICK AND NOT ONLY RIE!) Levi will probley be my favorite character to write... him or Rie, but I adore Zella just as much! xD Its hard to pick favorites... And if you coudn't tell, my favorite flowers are lillies... theyre just the prettiest flowers I'v ever seen. (I got carried away with describing the garden... just a little.)<p>

Just incase if you arn't clear yet about apperances for some characters, Zella is a Raccoon Tail female Seklie, Levi is a Wolfie male Selkie, Lotus is a Wolfie female Selkie, and Levi's friends are the remaining male selkie looks (Shark Eyes, Bandanna, Raccoon Tail). (Sorry, I just had to make that a point cause I hate reading stories with not very good mental images of the characters so I just wanted to point htat out ^^")

Thankyou again for reading, chapter 3 wont be out till... early next month. Please Review! Thankyou!

~SomtinERanother


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Our missing Princess**

**A/N:** I... am... sorry. Its been WAY past the time I was hoping to update (earlier this month) but I got pretty buisy lately. But anyway, Its also been hard for me to determine if this chapter was good enoff to put up or no. With the fact the I proof read this one so many times, re-read it like crazy, and hoped it made sence. But I finally settled on this. So enoff talking, here you go.

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Crystal Chronicles.

* * *

><p>Gentley veiled music glided though the room with grace. The quciky yet light moving waltz music flowed from a solo violinist, accompanied by a piano, playing a tune that urged the sea of people to waltz in the grand ballroom. It's beautiful sound was able to be heard under the light chatter of the ball attenders and the few children playing amoungst each other with everyone in their best clothing.<p>

The room was rather linear for a ballroom but looked like it stretched for half-a mile from the entrance doors. The walls where colored in a creamy eggshell with thick, white and gold trimming around the top of the high walls. Fine white pillars ran along the walls and also supported a second floor balcony that ran around the room with twisted and decorated white iron fencing. The floor was made of a glossy brown marble, but despite its color it was breath taking. The light source of the room was luminating high up from light candle chandeliers made of fine crafted silver.

Ball attenders laughed, chatted, and danced. Many wearing expensive fabric formal wear and other in formal but not as expensive, but ratherly more middle class folk you'd say. Clavates, Lilties, and Yukes all the same bowed lowly to their partners on the dance grounds as the light waltz music eased into a stop. Clapter filled the rooms aswell as more laughs and chatter.

As the music dimmed out, a pair of doors at the front of the ball room at the top of the balcony swung open with a light creek. All eyes casted upward in a quiet silence, not even a child spoke.

Entering from the doors was a pair of Lilties dressed better then anyone on the room. All present bowed at the waist or curtseied; even uttering the words _'your majesties'_ quietly, and many ball attenders with smiles. The royal Lilties bowed their head in relpy as they also parted ways from each other and a young blond haired women delicatly strolled in behind them.

Her shoulder length hair was restrained in a high bun and her bang restrained by hairpins. Her light mint green, tan, and white dress shuffled with her steps, aswell as complimented her green eyes. The dress' bottom passed her toes making her lift the front only so lightly in the front to prevent tripping, but only ever so lightly. The dress was rather frilly with multiple layers prevented her from showing off her natural Selkie thin and curvey body. Her sleaves where long but loose and her tight collar buttoned up till the midpoint of her neck.

Reaching the ivory railing, she curtseied breifly with a dainty grin on her features. Attenders stayed in a bow position longer then she, rising to her feet to and looking out to the crowds to just then only feel somthing ache in her chest when she saw that quiet a few people where standing and just... staring. Women snickering in mockery for only just a moment before hidding their faces as few men pretended to not even notice her.

Her lips fell from her formal grin. When the doors behind her closed as the waltz music picked back up, the room starting up with much talk and dancing. Zella felt a small gloved hand press on her arm snapping her eyes away from the crowds below.

"Zella...", her Lilty mother muttered, grinning sweetly and sympathetically all at once up at her. Zella weakly smiled at her mother, "Its alright, mother."

Her mother took a step back. Zella felt a grin spread on her mouth. It really didn't matter, she was use to the dislike of her citizens by now... ever since she was a little girl.

Zella breathed a heavy breath. She could feel temperature rise as her face was flushed from a warm heat as sweat lightly showed on her brow in the right lighting. She lightly tugged on her high collar she laughed lightly, "I think I'll... I'll go and mingle. I'm getting warm just standing here." Her mother smiled in approval but adding, "But be back up here in 10 minutes for your speach", as Zella steped away

She hurried toward the stairs that connected the dancing ground to the balcony, but breaking down to a hault before taking her first step down the stairs. Turning back over her shoulder to her parents she could see her mother watching her with kind and warm eyes. But her father... his eyes where averted, staring only off the balcony and down at the people dancing. He hadn't said a word to her since their argument earlier.

Zella's mouth bent into a pain-filled frown toward him and turned her back to them. "I'm sorry. But I need to do this...", she uttered from her lips before rushing down the curved stairs. Her set of cloths made her body feel heavy and body heat rise as she tried to stay light on her toes to prevent the the sandals she was wearing, hidden well under her dress' layers, from slapping against the marble floor.

When she reatched the floor, she stoped to notice people where watching her but once her eyes met their's they averted quickly and presumed to be wrapped in conversations. Zella could feel a little hurt inside as she reatched for her chest just over her heart as she stood there for a moment.

She quickly straghtened her posture and strided forth through the crowds. The crowds where more packed then she had judged from the balcony. At first, it was like she cound't even breath. When people where out dancing the others would crowds to the sides of the room to give them plenty of room so spacing was somthing valuable to find.

She could barley be seen in the large crowds, only her blond hair being a disadvantage for her to be spotted quickly. Ball attender's elbows nudged her sides and people bumped into her with little apology as she tried to gracefully sweep past them. No one seemed to notice in this crowd. The thick crowds made its feel like 100 degrees, or at least to her, as he face continued to flush a bright red and her moist brow was causing a few strands of loose hair too short to put in the bun to stick to her face uncomfortably.

She glanced back up at the balcony where her parents where watching from. Both parents eyes locked down at the dancing grounds nowhere near the side lines. She only then felt somthing tugg on her chest when she saw how they looked happy, even her father.

_"10 minutes..."_, Zella reminded herself mentally. Her quick glinding past others and ducking under servents party platters that held many glasses that contained liquids that ranged from iced water to wine.

The thick crowd was her coverup that hide her so contently until she began reatching the back of the room. The crowds lightened and gave her more elbow room and less ducking needed. She found herself only halfway there, judging by the distance the large oak entrance doors where that she'd soon use as exit doors.

As she walked with gentle steps she tried to keep mental track of her minutes. Striding quickly and eye locked toward the door, until suddenly she stop to see a small Clavate child standing right infront of her. His big chocolate brown eyes staring up at her with no emotion to tell of. Zella grined widly at him before giving a light curtsy to him only causing his head to turn to the side in question.

Lifting his short arm to point an index fingure at her as he asked innocently, "Are you the Selkie princess?" Zella grinned, "Thats right, yes." The boy gave a toothy grin. "Hehe, Papa was way wrong, your not scary! Papa always said that your a Selkie monsterouse and that Selkies are only thieves who only take-take-take."

Zella's eyes widened a bit in suprise at the statement. But even before she could answer him a Clavate women dashed in from a smaller crowd. She grabbed the boy's arm tightly as she backed away with the boy in tow but all the way she bowed respectfully and apologized profoundly addressing her a 'princess' until she was back in a distant crowd.

Zella's lips pressed together as she stared off lost in a bit of thought of that boy's words. _Selkies... If only more lived in Alfitaria._

Zella poped ouf of though when she heard a group of women, around her age, rudely giggle and snicker. She only dared herself to look but didn't need to. Under their light whispers and quick chatter she heard, _'Oh, the princess. Perhaps we should bow to the Selkie.' _as well as _'Once that Selkie takes the throne she'll tax us to death!'_

Zella felt a similare ache in her chest like a few minutes ago, but then to realized that she had no time for this. She pressed onward to the end of the hall avoiding any eye contact with people, trying to shake off what just happened to her.

As she reatched the back doors she noticed two Lilty knights standing post with lances at hand. They greeted her polightly with a _'Evening princess'. _

_"Oh... what am I going to... maybe..."_, Zella though as she grinned lightly at the guards. Her warm feature on her face droped to a light frown as her eyebrows knited lightly to only the best that she can act... or lie.

"Knights. T-There where... a few, Umm... young men I saw who where... begining to get drunk! I don't want them recking the ball so, could you go help them?" She asked using her more stern voice that she rarely ever found herself using. The knights glanced between each other before they bowed and did as she ordered.

As she listened to their clancky armour sound dimmed away into the crowds she could only feel herself compelled to lightly whisper an apology to the knights. Zella qickly glanced around. No attention on her. Still making sure no one was watching, she reatched behind her back for the door's shining brass handles. When she felt a tight grip around the handle she eased it open. Eyes narrowly glancing back and forth around the room.

Suddenly her heart froze and she released the door handle. A few Lilty women and Clavates passing rather closely to her, stoping for a moment and bowed directly toward her with warm smiles. She grinned and nodded her head as they continued on their way. The moment warmed her heart to see that some don't despise her.

Once out of sight again, Zella didn't hesitate as she opened the door only a crack big enoff for herself to slip out. As she slowly shut the thin space in the door, she gave one last glance up toward her parents who where just specks in the distance. "I'm sorry...", she whispers, closing the door silently.

Zella gingerly glanced around the long hallway she was in. It was dark, the only lighting was the full moon's luminating light that flowed through the long windows. Zella took a few dainty steps on her toes forward, glancing back and forth down the hall.

"Rie..." she whispered quietly.

Nothing.

"Rie..." She whipsered a little louder.

Out of the corner of her eyes she caught a cream colored fuzz ball trudging down the hall. His little body struggling to carry what was in tow behind him. A leather strap crossed over the front of his small body as he draged a brown rucksack behind him.

"Ku...po...", he muttered in a struggling voice. Zella felt a sigh of releif escape her lips. She joged silently to the moogle. As she approtched closely to him, he stoped all moving and floped onto his back in exhaustion. "That was... heavy... kupo." He mutter tiredly.

Zella dug through the rucksack, making sure all its contents where there. She nodded. Everything she needed was present.

Once that was done, she began to frantically unbutton the the buttons running down her high neck collar of her dress. Then lifting the dress from its hem up to her waist as she wiggles it up her torso. Finally getting it over her head she she sighed in relief as the dress with many layers floped onto the floor.

Under her dress, she had a set of traditional Selkie traveling clothes on that had been a gift from Fredrick for her 16 birthday and idly sitting in the back of her wardrobe for years. A white leotart showed her shoulder's and leg's bare skin. Also wearing a light blue skirt-like-sash that was pleated and tied just above left thigh. On her shoulders where white fured pads that had the same material as her sash lightly cover her arm till her elbows.

A cool breeze of air swept through a nearby open window and passed over Zella's over heated body with a shiver, as it seemed to ease her flushed face.

"It must have been really hot in all those clothes, kupo."

Zella nodded. "Yes, but we running short on time! Are the others up where I said to meet?" She spoke quietly as she took the rucksack and placed it over her shoulders. Rie flutterd up to her with his little wings until he was about shoulder length parallel with her. "Yup yup, kupo! But whys we running short on time, kupo?" he asked watching Zella untie her hair from the bun.

"We only have 5 minutes to get to the balcony." Rie's face was shocked for a moment as he seemed to stutter at a loss for words before shooting down the hallway ahead of her. "W-what are we still doin here, kupo!" She could hear him say in the distance. Zella joged down the hall to catch up with him aswell as trying to shoosh his voice.

Zella coudn't help but grin. He seemed just as excited as she was... but she wondered if he was just as scared.

* * *

><p>In the ballroom people where laughing and dancing all the same. Not a worry in the world for anyone. Another waltzing dance ended and eveyone laughed with joy and claped as partners bowed to one another. King Ives and Queen Lillian claped happily aswell. Imedietly after the dance ended the king interupted with a loud voice that caught everyone in the rooms attention.<p>

"Yes! Wonderful!" He called out to the people who all gave him their attention.

"A rather amazing evening, I'd say!" He joyfull spoke from the balcony. "Would you agree my wife?"

Lillian smiled widly, "Yes, and we'd like to thankyou all for attending here tonight and a more greatful thankyou to our carivaners." The crowds claped heavily enoff to echo through the entire caslte.

"And to show her appreciation, our daughter would like to speak to everyone and to our treasured carivaners." Another set of clapter filled the room.

As the clapter quieted, the queen looked down around the crowd. "Our daughter Zella... Nae," the queen said again, only unassure now. "Zella?" She said again.

The crowded guests began to look around and chatter lightly between themselves at the look of worry on the royal Lilties' faces. "Where is Zella?", the king asked getting as nervouse shake to crack in his throught, but embarassed at the same time.

"Zella? Has anyone seen her?" The queen asked one of the knights standing close by. The knights glanced between themselves with no answer but only just as confused.

"Zella?" The king asked into the crowd. "Where is she?" Lillian added nervously placing a hand on his shoulder. "G-Go and find her!" The king order to near by knights. Without hesitation, the knights jumped into action and began to run about the room with their clanking armour, talking though yells acorss the room to other knights to find her. Many of the party guests where talking amongst themselves even more about the princess' location.

The queen continued to lean over the ivory railing to see if Zella was just packed in the crowd, but Ives pulled her away from how dangerously she was pertched over the railing. A frown bent on his mouth as his wife began to go into a panic-attack. "W-Where has she gone?"

* * *

><p>The old balcony door gave a painful creek open that made Zella wince with a mental prayer that no one heard it. She managed to squeez through the space she did open with the door and silently took steps out onto a dark -but moonlight- balcony. Catching her eyes in the dark quickly where the figures of two fluffy cream colored moogles with their bright red pom-pom's and small purple wings that should be physicaly impossible to even lift their bodies off the ground, but she didn't try question it.<p>

Rie glided over Zella's shoulder to meet the moogles resting on the stone parapet wall that enclosed the balcony. It didn't take Zella to long to realize that one of the two moogles was a common mail moogle that she had seen in and out of the palace while the other seemed to be a local one of Alfitaria.

The moogles mutter in whisper to each other -maybe about what this is all about- while Zella didn't hesitate to make her way to the edge of the balcony where her heart beated against her ribcages heavily at the sight of the gaping space between the balcony and the ground that seemed 30 feet deep.

Not only did the scares distance give her a fright that gave her shivers, but surrounding the castle was the dreaded wall that's top was at parallel height with the balcony, aswell as the knights that marched back and forth around the insides of the wall. The wall passed her mind without a worry beacuse that was what the moogles where hear for after all, but the knights where a bit unexpected.

Zella's had to peer down to see the 3 Lilty knight that paced the inside of the castle wall. "I dont remember knights ever patrolling the wall.", she muttered quietly to herself. But they didn't seem armed, which gave her some relief.

"What now, kupo?" The other moogles seemed to be as infatuated with this whole sceme as did Rie since he wasen't even filled in on the exact details.

Zella kneed to the ground as carfully as she could, layed her rucksack on the greystone cementing floor and dug through the bag, keeping russling noises down to a very minimum till she finally pulled 3 pieces of sturdy cut rope of a long but decent length from her bag. The moogles tilted their heds in question, about to open their mouths for questioning but interupted by a whisper from Zella.

"I need to tie these around you." She said motioning to the roped with her head while her hands plucked Rie from the ground first and looped the rope around his body just behind his wings.

Zella had no emotions on her face except that her rosey lips where pressed together stiffly in consentration as she secured the roped tightly around his little body. As she looped the rope around Rie he felt her hands shake as she tried to finish it off with a neat little bow at the top but her hands fidgited to quickly and only created a tight knot instead.

"Zella, kupo... are you scared, kupo? I thought you where happy about this, kupo." Rie said quielty trading places with the mail moogle on Zella's lap.

Zella chewed on her lips lightly as she began looping the rope around the moogle. "I'am happy... thrilled in fact. But...I-I'am scared.", Zella paused while tieing the rope, then gave her head a quick shack before focusing back on the only half finished knot. "But this is s-somthing I need to do. It's important to me... and I may never have another chance to do this again." Rie didn't reply to her, not even exactly sure how to responed.

"If you say so, kupo." The mail moogle uttered quietly aswell.

Tieing the roped around the next moogle didn't seem to go without a hitch. Each moogle had a rope tied securly around their body and began to hover just above Zella's head as the ends of the rope dangled loosley around her.

"Are you suuuuuuure this is gonna work, kupo?" The local town moogle asked feeling Zella give on quick tugg on the ropes. Zella grinned up at him with a pleading smile that he will trust her. "I heard a long time ago by my school tutors that grown moogles can lift double or even triple their own body weight, but I-I'm sure just the two of you and Rie, you can lift me up easily." Zella said, grasping all 3 of the floating roped in her hands.

_'I hope...'_, Zella added mentally as she lifted a foot onto the parapet.

It took Zella a few second to find enoff courage to lift the other foot onto the parapet as she held the ropes tightly in her deathly grasp close to her chest. As she stood on the edge of the balcony looking down at the long drop to the ground, her heart raced. A piece of her wanting to quit this all now and go back to the party while the other pushing her onward to follow through.

She swallowed hard as she stared at the wall -that was only a half the length of the drop down- away from where she stood. Finally releasing a shaky breath of nerves.

"1...", she whispered toward the moogles.

"2...", she held her breath.

"3."

She took her leap of faith and steped off the balcony as a small yelp rose in her throught but kept down by will-power alone as the floor disappeared from under her feet and the sudden feel of a drop. She clutched onto the dangling pieces of rope by her legs her with her bare knees as her eyes where tightly shut just expecting to hit the ground any moment, but instead...

she felt the wind.

A gentle breeze picked up her shoulder length blond hair in the wind and the sound of flapping wings fill her ears. One eyes opened, as the other followed. The first thing she saw was the view magnificent view of Alfitaria and the roads outsid of town in the far night distance. It haden't occured to her but after a few moment, she quickly glanced to check the moogles. They where holding up well. They seemed to be struggling but they where making it for sure.

The last thing she wanted to do was look down but felt compelled to do so. The ground was far from her feet, the specks on the ground where the knights that where on potrol, so unaware.

Exhilarating, content... freedom. That's all she felt now. The feeling of a joyest smile breaking on her lips made eveything in her body flutter faster then the moogles above her head.

As they passed onto the other side of the wall, Zella released her tight gripping knees from the rope that she held onto so tightly it left red imprints of the ropes pattern on her knees. The gray stone flooring on the outside of the wall grew closer to her feet.

Only about 5 feet until she'd land on the solid floor, but without patience she let go of the ropes and jumped to the ground. But without bent knees she tumbled onto her rear-end while the 3 moogle droped to the ground like dead flies in exhaustion. Zella's eyes widened in amazment.

"I-I'm... I'm.. I'm... out." Her jaw slack in slight shock of the moment.

As the moogles began to catch their breath and rise to their feet, they where swept up by Zella's hands, as she kissed each one on the top of the head as thankyou.

"Thankyou, Thankyou!" She excitedly whispered. "Your kindness will be rewarded greatly when I return, do you require anything? Food? A home? Money?" She asked over joyed.

"Can you untie the ropes, kupo?" One asked ehausted as he tried to wiggle his way out of the knots.

"Of course." Zella said with a peppy grin.

She untied the mail moogle and the local moogle first and then Rie who she greeted with a tights hug that she hadn't done since she was 12. Zella thanked the moogles again as Rie reminded them that they are swore into the secret of this escape.

It only took moment longer until the heart stoping sound of yells, blowing whistles, and the echoing sound of clanking armour was heard from inside of the castle wall behind Zella.

"THE PRINCESS IS MISSING! PRINCESS ZELLA NAE IS MISSING!"

Upon the sounds the two moogles frantically scattered and dashed off, running into town as quick as their feet would take them; which was quiet suprisingly fast. In a moments notice Zella snatched Rie up in her arms and she began to run as quickly as those other moogles did just a moment ago, straight into town.

Zella tried to run faster but the rucksack straped around her shoulders made this more bothersome to do so as she had ajust the straps that kept slipping fown her shoudlers.

She avoided any eyes contant with villagers who where enjoying the late cool spring night outside their houses or closing up their small buisness shops as she maneuvered her way through a few buildings rather then taking the path around Alfitaria' s crystal and straight out of town.

After maneuvering though the narrow street of town between houses and shop buildings she found a split in the street, one street, to the west and one to the east. Her eyes darted back an forth nervously as she huffed for air and unknowingly had been crushing Rie between under her arms.

"Oh...Oh gods... which way?" She breath panically.

"Right, kupo! I think the exits that way, kupo." Rie managed to weeze out from Zella's death grip.

Without a know how in the world of where to go, she listened and only prayed that he was right beacuse now she had no time to think, the knights -and even her parents- knew she was gone missing.

Thankfully from the direction of a moogle Zella saw Alfitaria's main entrance. It stood open bouldly like gates to heaven. Her mouth parted in a single laugh in amazment as she began to trip over her own toes toward the gate.

Zella flew through the gates, glancing behind her to see that the knights haven't left the castle... YET. Not one in view at the moment, but was startled to see the knight-guard at post by Alfitaria's entrance gate but was asleep on duity. But she didn't mind now, and was actually thankfull for that.

Zella ran without stop for the next few minutes following only down a straight path made of old rundown brick-stones. Rie could hear Zella breathing hard breaths, he knew she wasn't use to running so much or being is such a state of panic. Small droplets of sweat gleamed on her brow as her mouth only slightly opened to breath more air.

"Maybe you should slow down, kupo." Rie asked more questionably. Zella should her head. "I cant, not now! Father will send the knights to look for me soon...", she took a breath, "and they'll catch me if I stop."

Rie then looked out to the open road, the path looked like it could straight for miles. The path Zella had just run down had old dried and withered trees lining the sides of the road and she had finally begun to see the scenery change. It was not surounded by withered old trees but now a yellow stained green feild to her right. There where a few sloped and hills in the feild that gave creepy shadows around from the moon and dimmed certain areas but also shed light.

Zella looked out at the feild as she huffed a breath. Her eyes hastily sketched over the area, not a single place to hide. Just a big open feild with a few hills, sloped, one or two dead trees, dried grass, and a rabbit hole.

Zella's eyes widened in suprise as she forced her feet to break down to a stop.

"Z-Zella, what are you doing, kupo?" Rie asked, lightly shaken.

Zella's eyes wandered back to the 'rabbit hole' that was placed on the slop of a hill that stood out in the right lighting and postition. Her eyes narrowed in on it. "Is that a..." Zella whispered too Rie, who after eagerly looked around aswell. "That a what, kupo! I dont se-... kupo?" Rie spotted it too.

She'd only heard of these but never thought she'd ever actually see one in person. Maybe she could find refuge here for the night, without being caught by knight... or her father.

_**To Be Continued...**_

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><p>Anyone wanna gues what the 'rabbit whole' or just 'anime whole' is? But there are a few things I wannapoint out before someone else points it out. I honestly know nothing about moogles -other theny they're cute and fluffy- but they remind me of bees (the bug). I've seen bees lift some pretty big things so I always imagined moogles where that way too. But the moogle thing kinda goes against Rie when he was dragging the bag down the hall. BUT! Let remeber Rie is also a baby so I'd imagin he's like 5 pounds (not imcluding his 'over-sized pom-pom) and a grown moogle looks 15 pounds so... do the math if you want. Another thing is when Zella escapes the castle. I wrote this in like 3 other ways before settling on this one. I had her swing over, and zip-line over but they all felt... meh. Crossing over the wall via moogle-balloons was more unique anyway. In addition to the fact that is a 100 year continuation of Crystal Chronicles, I imagined that Alfitaria's town had grown a little is its a big more complcated to get out and I'm sure they had invented the piano in the 100 years.<p>

But anyway, thanks for reading this chapter and chapter 4 will be out as soon as I finish writting it.

Dont forget to Review! Let me know if you liked this chapter or prviouse ones. Is there any improving still or is it just awsome? Let me know! So please review! Thanks! :D

~SomtinERanother


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Generosity & Greed**

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles.

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><p>Zella's eyes peered at the hole in the dim night. She only wished she had carried a candle with her when she escaped her home so she could maybe tell where she at least was or if this sight to her was just an illusion by the moon's light. But she didn't want to disbelieve what it was.<p>

She laughed in reliefe as a 'yes' escaped her breath. "Rie!" She whispered joyestly as she began to run across the feild, "it's a moogle house!" She whispered with breaths of reliefe.

Rie excitedly grinned, "You think a comrade will help us out, kupo?"

Zella didn't answer. As she seemed to of panic as she heard a few leaves on the floor, just up the path from where they where, russle around, making her fear only worst and wasted no time to sprint to the hole. The ground beneith her feet crunched with each step she took on the sickly yellow and green grass.

She approatched the hole quickly, crounching down to get a good look inside. Sure enoff, only about 2 feet into the hole, there was a small oval shapped door with a silver handle. Her skin dirtied when she got on her hands and knees -with Rie still locked around one of her arms- as she crawled in to the narrow hole. The hole was small and barley had any elbow room as dirt encrusted the tiny cave around her. Her head hitting the roof once or twice, getting sprinkles of brown dirt in her golden blond hair.

Once the handle was in reach she opened it without hesitation, stumbling into a room where a warm sensation of heat penetracted her face upon entrance. Having fallen through the door easily, she found herself kneeling in larger room then she expected to find. In fact... it was _exactly_ like a little house.

A small 2 story house. A curved stairway up to the second level where she couldn't see to but perhaps leading up to a bed. The warm fireplace infront of her glowed orange, yellow, and red through out the entire room with a old cooking pot placed over it with the sound of boiling bubbles in it.

It was incredibale to Zella and nothing like she had imagined a moogle home to be like.

Her eyes wandered about the room in 'aw' until out of the corner of her eyes she saw a rocking chair... rocking, with a white fluffy creature in it. The owner of this moogle house, no doubt.

"Hi there, kupo!" It greeted happily, leaping from the rocking chair.

A slight breeze that made its way into through the front door picked up Zella's locks in a wave, upon realizing it was open she closed it quickly. Still in distress, she lowered her head towrad the moogle. "Please...", she begged, "I hate to be an intruder, but i-it would be of great help if you allow me to stay the night here. I have no where to st-"

"Well sure you can, kupo! I'v had lots and lots of travels stay here, kupo!"

A stream of silent thankyou's where repeated out of Zella's mouth as her body relaxed limply, allowing Rie to leap from her arms. The moogle of this house tilted his head in question.

"Are you tired, you look exhausted kupo. Have a seat on the rug by the fire place, kupo! I don't have any beds, but other travels said its juuuuuust as comfy, kupo!" The hosipitable moogle's perky behavior tugged a grin on Zella's nervouse features. She did as he requested and sat on the rug, Rie ploping himself down in her lap like how he normally would do when he felt frightened.

As Zella looked about the room she found her eyes wander toward the tiny door. She began to wondered if knights where already out searching for her and if she had hidden just in time. She kept a open ear for every little sound being made. The only sound at the moment though was the crackling fireplace and bubbly water. If she where to hear sound of distant clancking armour from dark outside she would... she would maybe...

_tin-bong_

Zella jumped in her skin and her heart skipped a frightful beat. Her eyes searched about before realizing that the clancky noise had come from the hospitable moogle, who had plopped -what appeared to be- a tin bowl on the ground infront of Zella's knees. The moogle frowned, "Oops! Sorry, sorry, kupo!"

Staring at the tin bowl reminded her of the banquet they would have at the ball after the dancing part of the celebration was over. Just thinking of all the perfectly cook vegetables and crisp fruits... it made Zella's stomache grumble loud enoff for the moogles to hear. Her face flushed in embarassment.

"Now I know you must be hungry, kupo! Help yourself to the stew, kupo!"

Zella hesitated to pick up the bowl for a moment. It lookded a little dented in some places and old, but clean none the less.

"Thankyou, your being to kind Mr...moogle." She felt a vibe of akward not knowing its name of the moogle, but awfully gratful toward the fuzzy creature anyway.

Zella took only a ladle full of the stew in the pot, which only turned out to be boiling water with large chuncks of star carrots and unevenly chopped bits of potatoes. No seasoning what-so-ever and it seemed... bland. In many other words, Zella found this... unappetizing and unappealing.

Rie eagerly jumped from Zella's lap to look in the bowl that she held just above his head. He snaked a piece of star carrot from the bowl and chewed joyfully away on it. The hospitable moogle nudged a spoon toward Zella in anticipation to get her oppinion on its cooking. Zella swallowed any of her palace life pride and picked up the spoon.

She filled up the spoon with the moist carrot and potatoes bits and forced her hand to put it in her mouth

**. . .**

"Its... tastey." She spoke much to her suprise. "It's boiled star carrots and gourd potatoes, kupo!" The hospitable moogle chirped with joy. Zella chewed on her lower lip, feeling quiet dumb now. All this was, was boiled carrots and potatoes... She took in another bite. The moogle spun on it's toes with a grin. "The secret is absolutely nothing, kupo!"

Zella took in a few more bites before Rie began to make a strange whiney noises and nudged the rim of the bowl with his forhead. Zella coudn't help but giggle at his cutness and offered him a spoonfull of potatoes.

"So where ya headed, kupo?" The moogle asked tilting his head slightly. "We're planning on going to Shella, to do a little researching." Zella bite the inside of her cheek. Mentally regretting mentioning the last part of her words. For all she knew this moogle was still only a stranger. Zella fed Rie another mouthfull of food while trying to keep her worryful thoughts composed.

"Oh! Shella, kupo? Do ya have a mark, kupo?" Zella paused the from feeding Rie, and even he paused. "A mark, kupo?", Rie asked in Zella's slightly speachless place.

"The little key that the Yuke's will use to open the bridge, kupo! Don't tell me don't have one, kupo!" Zella could only feel her jaw part lightly, almost speachless. At that, the moogle shook its head like a disapointed adult before ascending into the air with flaps of his wings. "Wait just a second, kupo!", it said before zipping up and off toward a tall bookshelf near by it's rocking chair.

The moogle seemed to flutter around and about for a while as it nudging aside books with it's feet as it examined the shelves. "kupo...", it muttered after flipping a book off the shelf. It tossed another book down. Then another that barely skimmed past Zella's head if she hadn't moved in enoff time. A few more books where tossed until the books stoped droping to the ground with loud _thuds_,

"Here we go, kupo!" The moogle announced happily. The moogle retured to Zella with a blue box in its mouth. He tossed it on the ground just in Zella's reach. Zella hessitantly picked it up, avoiding the moist spot where the moogle had it in his mouth.

"I got it when I went to Shella a looooooong time ago, kupo. Theres a Mark of Shella in it, kupo. Take it, kupo!" Zella paused in thought. No matter how much she wanted to tell him that it woudn't be nessicary and that she'll find a way... she needed it, very much. She has no idea where to find somthing like this.

Zella shook away her thoughts. "T-Thankyou." Zella managed out wearily. "I-I must repay you somehow.", Zella reatched for her rucksack -still over her shoudlers- to find anything that wasen't a necessity to her travels that she could give. As she russled about, the moogle giggled and snickered to the point where Zella stoped her looking.

"That alright, kupo! I don't want anything for this, kupo. We moogles are always giving, kupo!"

The moogle's content cat-like grin made Zella thank him with only a small toothy grin. A silence filled the room as Zella began to look curiously at the box's and it's content while Rie was in 'aw' of the box's gold pattern over the blue dyed leather.

"Welp! I' ma going to sleep, kupo! Nighty-Night, kupo!", the hospitable moogle said, before fluttered up the staires slowly.

"Thankyou! You've been of so much help moogle friend!" Zella called toward the moogle before it disapeared up to the second level of the house without a responce.

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

It wasen't long until Rie had fallen asleep on the rug with a belly stuffed full of food, sleeping with a grin tha tonly said he was gaving plesent dreams. Zella, however, sat in stiff silence. Her legs pulled up to her chest and her chin resting lightly on the tops of her knees. Her droopy eyes where locked on the small glowing fire. The embers of the fire crackled, it's fire begining to die out leaving only a dim light in the room.

Zella's mind wandered throught the events that have taken place over the last few hours. She knew it was well past midnight now and that she should be getting rest aswell to leave early in the morning... but she haden't been able to sleep a wink.

Her mind began to worry about her parents. Her mother probably worried sick and her... father... she didn't know what to think of him. But she never took how they would react under full consideration before leaving. She wondered if the knights will search all night and if she has made Fredrick too worry at all... maybe he had expected this of her.

Zella's eyes fell shut in remebrance of Fredrick's words he told her only just yesterday.

_'So you should do whats right, best for you and even best for others. Its only a choice you can make yourself.'_ Zella could hear those words perfectly in his elderly tone Lilty voice.

It only tooka while longer before the thick feeling of drowseness over came Zella. Her eyes stayed shut and body began to fall limply on the rug in a turning slumber with no dreams. Had she made a good choice for others... or even herself?"

* * *

><p>The morning light began to rise from the sunrise just over the horizon made up of the dried out hills. The crispy and wilted tree's branches russled together in a light wind that whiped around the long sky blue hair of a young man.<p>

His eyes drooped with the trudging look of tiredness before forcfully snapping them back open. He was tired from the lack of sleep. He must had traveled as long as he could the previouse night until he felt his chocobo -that he was currently proping himself up against- needed to rest for the night and had just seemed to barely of woken up from it's needed rest.

The young Selkie man's tired eyes began followed the sight of a gold coin that he repetativly began flicked up into the air with his fingures before it returned back to his hand to continue the pattern. Everytime the coin made it up, the sun would gleam off of it before it fell back into his hand.

The Selkie's eyes followed the coin until he paused. He stared at the coin in his palm in complete silence. His memory jogged back to several days ago, the evening after he arrived on the docks of the mainland. He traveled up the continent until he felt that his chocobo and himself -which he hated to admit- needed to rest. So he came into the little town of Tipa...

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

_Levi led his chocbo by it reins down a little dirt path that he knew would lead them into the small town of Tipa. It was almost sunset and his chocbo seemed exhausted from miles that they covered in only a few hours and they still have so far to reach their first destination. _

_He followed the little path until he breifly caught sight of the entrance to the smaller then normal town. The little bridge that crossed over what use to be a small brooke but now dried due to the drought. It would lead them to the entrance of town. Levi didn't even bother to look straight ahead, but stared down at his feet as he walked, his mind blanck of any thoughts and a crampy ache in his neck._

_Then, a glint of somthing small and golden caught his keen Selkie eye under the brown dirt ground. He paused in step to stare at it. Dirt was lightly dusted over it and it had the shape of a round coin. Infact... Levi picked it up off the ground and rubbed it till the dust was cleared off. _

_"1 gil." Levi mused to himself with a bitter grin about the very little amount. "Gil is gil, so whatever." He gave it a quick flip in the air and stucking it in his pocket. Levi lifted his eyes to quickly see, only about ten feet infront of him, where a pair of twin girls, all of maybe 9 years old._

_Their heads' where dipped, staring sternly at the ground was the wandered aimlessly. Judging by their long bright orange-gold tinted hair that they where Selkies. _

_"I-I dont see it!" One called to the other from a distance. "I know I lost it around here somwhere! Keep looking!" The other called back. They wandered about the ground for a few moments more until one looked up in Levi's direction. It's eyes narrowed in on him for a moment before he could see her call out to her sister and signaled her to followed with her hands._

_The girls rushed up to Levi directly. "Hey you! Have you seen a 1 gil coin around? About this big and this wide." She nudged her sister to make the size and shape with her fingures into a cirlce. _

_Levi was quiet for a moment until a rough sigh broke his lips. He tugged his chocobo along next to him and manuvered his way around the girls and continued on his way. "E-Excuse meeeee!" The more quieter twin yelled to him. _

_Levi froze in his steps. "I haven't seen anything... I'll umm... let you know if I find anything." He said casually, and continued on his way in. _

_The girls breathed exasperated sighs. _

_"S-See Dia. Its not around here." _

_"Hey! We can't give up, Mei! I think I might have droped it by the abandone fishing house when we where playing earlier today! Come on!" _

_The one twin moaned frustratedly. "A-Alright... But after that we're going home." _

_And the two where out of sight within moments. Levi heard everything from the distance he was. Reaching back into his pocket, he could feel the thin coin between his fingures. _

_As a single 'hmph' came low from his voice with a smirk. Without giving the issue another thought he gave his attention to find an inn or just a place to stay for the night. Maybe the moogle home under the town's crystal would be sufficient. _

**. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .**

The loud squeek-like-chirp erupted from Levi's chocobo, startling him out of his thoughts. He looked at the large yellow bird that he still leaned against, it stare back at him like it was tired of waiting on him to stop thinking and get moving.

"Right. We gotta go if we're gonna make it through the miasma stream before evening." Levi admited, sticking the coin in his pocket yet again.

He leaped up onto the old saddle as the chocobo rose to it's tall feet. With a swift kick of his heels against it's sides and a whistle, he was off.

_**To Be Continued...**_

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><p><strong>AN: **Sorry this chapter was kind of short... its much shorter then I had thought but for sure next chapter the main plot will begin! :D Chapter 5 will be out... soon.

Don't forget to Reivew and let me know how the story is going! Reviews are much appreciated!

~SomtinERanother


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